How do I navigate the ethics of live events?

Lucia Moses,
Digiday,
May 2014
As news organizations begin to engage more deeply in live events with underwriting or sponsorship, there are a range of approaches for how to balance content/programming with the potential influence from sponsors.

There’s no single standard for how to balance business and editorial considerations of live events.

Do reporters get involved with live events that are sponsored?

Will sponsors be speakers in the sessions?

Will the event be on the record, or off the record?

This piece highlights some of the tensions that arise as news organizations host live events, highlights a few mistakes made along the way, and notes how various organizations are approaching balancing these tensions in their events.